(Deming) – The Luna County Commissioners passed a three-eighths-of-one-percent gross receipts tax increase Tuesday morning on a divided vote.Newly-elected Commissioner Linda Smrkovsky voted against the tax increase, while Commission Chairman Joe “Oleo” Milo and Commissioner Javier Diaz voted for the measure.Only 14 residents who were not county employees attended the meeting, which lasted over two hours.Much of the public input centered around the need to do something with the Luna County Detention Center, which has been called a county liability because of substandard conditions in the south unit of the facility.County Manager Charles “Tink” Jackson has said money raised by the gross receipts tax increase will go toward repairing and/or replacing the unit, which houses 120 inmate beds.The tax increase, which will take effect July 1st, will raise the gross receipts tax – or sales tax – in the city of Deming from 7.5% to 7.875%, and in the county, outside the incorporated areas, from 6.5% to 6.875%.

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